Hawaiian Ethos to Open Waimea Dispensary Tuesday

The inside of the new Hawaiian Ethos dispensary in Waimea, the company’s second location on the Big Island. PC: Hawaiian Ethos

A little more than seven months after opening its first location in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiian Ethos announced Saturday the grand opening of its second medical marijuana dispensary on the Big Island, this one in Waimea.

The dispensary is located at Uilani Plaza, 64-1035 Māmalahoa Highway, Unit J in Waimea. Beginning Feb. 4, 2020, it will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

A grand opening ceremony will convene in the Uilani Plaza parking lot on Sunday, Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature music by Mikey Fiyah as well as food by Cheese Please Hawai‘i. Local certifying physicians will also be available to provide information and answer questions, though access to the dispensary will be limited to patients and caregivers with 329 Cards.

“We’re really looking forward to better serving this part of the island, and put a lot of thought into choosing a location,” said Hawaiian Ethos’ Communications Director Diana Hahn. “Patients can expect the same great experience provided at our Kona dispensary — quality medicine, friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy parking and a clean, comfortable space.”

Hahn added the Waimea location is slightly smaller than the Kona dispensary but will have the same layout and process, in which patients will be greeted in the lobby then escorted into a separate room where purchases can be made.

The company expects overall sales to significantly increase, as the new location will make its products more accessible to patients living in the Waimea, Waikoloa, Kohala and Hamakua communities.

“A lot of patients expressed that they’d like to see us in Waimea, and we definitely took that into consideration.” Hahn continued. “We like that it has enough space to provide a comfortable patient experience, has ample parking and is convenient but also discreet because our unit is set back from Māmalahoa Highway. We also think it’s a great fit for us as many of our neighbors in the building also have a focus on medicine, health and wellness.”

Hawaiian Ethos will open Waimea Dispensary Monday. PC: Hawaiian Ethos

Medicinal selections will be comparable across all sites, though there may be some variation in available products between the Kona and Waimea dispensaries. More information can be obtained by visiting the company’s website at www.hawaiianethos.com or by calling 808-339-3205.

The addition of the Waimea location will create three jobs that are complete with benefits, as well as provide additional hours for part-time employees already with the company, Hahn said.

“We have completed the hiring process for the Waimea dispensary, however, we are actively interviewing for other positions in our organization right now,” she continued. “We prioritize hiring from within our community and are proud to say that the people joining our team live in Waimea and Honoka‘a.”

Hawaiian Ethos has plans to open a third Big Island location in Hilo, although Hahn said there was no firm address or timeline the company could release as of Saturday.

“We are committed to providing access to the east side of the island,” she said. “While it’s taking longer than we had hoped for, we are actively working toward securing and opening a location in or around Hilo.”

Also on Saturday, Hawaiian Ethos touted the news that its cultivation operation is on its way to being 100 percent sun-powered.

“We already use natural sunlight to grow medicine, but we will soon be meeting our ancillary electricity needs with solar power, putting us on track to be the first dispensary in Hawai‘i to have a carbon-neutral grow,” Hahn said.